Journal of Adolescent Research

Due to high stressors and inequities, youth from Latinx migrant farmworker (LMFW) families may experience an elevated risk of early drinking and smoking. Parent-adolescent communication can protect against early initiation, but few researchers have explored this parenting practice in LMFW families. This qualitative study used youth-reported narratives to examine messages LMFW parents convey when discussing drinking and smoking, if these messages varied by age, youths’ feelings toward these discussions, and if these discussions promoted resilience against drinking and smoking among youth. Twenty-four LMFW youth (67% boys, M_age = 13.88, 79% born in the United States) were recruited from a summer Migrant Education Program in Indiana. Using thematic analysis, five themes were identified from youth interviews: (1) mostly older youth used substances, but nearly all youth stated that parent’s expressed disapproval toward underage drinking and smoking; (2) parent-adolescent discussions left youth feeling positive and confident; (3) parents used consejos to communicate about alcohol and tobacco; (4) parents were lenient toward drinking and smoking in older male teens; and (5) some parents did not offer reasons for why youth should avoid drinking and smoking or rules pertaining to these substances. Our findings have implications for research and interventions aimed at fostering parent-adolescent communication in LMFW families about alcohol and tobacco use.

The idea that adolescence, an important developmental stage in human life is embodied in emotions is not new. However, the association between adolescence, unplanned motherhood, and HIV infection, which often lead to unanticipated transitions, may influence a rethink toward understanding the emotional and mental states of adolescent mothers. Using a sociological lens, this article draws on the concept of “emotionality” and the importance of paying attention to “emotions” in offering analysis of the new reality, which HIV-positive adolescent mothers find themselves in South Africa. Specifically, this article shifts the social research focus from behavioral (e.g. sexual behaviors) research to exploring HIV-positive adolescent mothers’ feelings, thus paying heed to a subjective emotional landscape. Through an inductive thematic analysis, the emotional accounts and unifying themes extracted from 13 (10 HIV-positive adolescent mothers and three key informants) semistructured in-depth interviews present an understanding of the various needs of an emerging youthful generation living with HIV, rather than a narrow, conventional focus on costs, risks, and impending mortality.

Experiencing the death of a loved one can be a difficult occurrence. Adolescents, in particular, experience death in a unique way. Yet there is relatively little research on adolescents’ experience with parental death and their involvement in the medical setting during a parent’s terminal illness. This qualitative study utilized heuristic inquiry, a type of phenomenological research, to investigate adolescents’ involvement in the hospital setting during parental terminal illness. Qualitative analysis of participants’ experiences resulted in two primary categories associated with adolescents’ involvement with medical professionals during parental illness: factors influencing hospital involvement and experience with health care professionals. The findings have implications for medical and mental health professionals who work with adolescent family members of terminally ill patients.

Closeness between mentor and mentee is previously defined as an important indicator of relationship quality in youth mentoring, but whether this is the case in instrumental mentoring for young adults remains unclear. This is an exploratory study examining how instrumental mentoring serves young adults in their instrumental needs and how relational closeness develops. We applied a mixed-methods design, using quantitative data from a study of an instrumental mentoring program in Rotterdam, The Netherlands (N = 53), and qualitative data from a subsample of participants (N = 10). Two statistically distinctive clusters of closeness were found; 49% of the mentees reported high levels of closeness, and 51% reported low levels of closeness in their mentor relationship. Multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs) showed that the cluster with high levels of closeness was correlated with instrumental compatibility, satisfaction, and perceived attitude similarities. Semi-structured interviews were used to illustrate the role and development of closeness for mentees in both clusters, and three cases were presented. Experiencing closeness seemed a result of receiving instrumental support, not a precondition. Mentees’ previous experiences might in some cases explain the lower levels of closeness, but this did not always hinder mentees to profit from their mentors’ support.